Tooth-brush holder.



B. FLINT. TOOTH BRUSH HOLDER.

APFIJICATION FILED APR.19, I915.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

TOOTH-BRUSH HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

BRADFORD FLINT, OF SABANAC LAKE, NEW YOBK.

Patented Feb. 1,1916.

Application filed April 19,1915. Serial No. 22,413. I

To all whom it may cancer n:

Be it known that'I, BRADFORD B. FLINT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Saranac Lake, in the county of Franklin and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tooth- Brush Holders, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention contemplates an improved tooth brush holder which may be attached to a wall or other supporting surface at any convenient location such as for instance, near a lavatory, and designed to support a plurality of tooth brushes.

The invention has a further object to provide a holder adapted to receive a card or strip bearing the names-of the owners of the brushes supported by the holder so that each brush will have a designated position thereon and may consequently thus be identified.

The invention has as a further object in this connection, to provide a holder wherein the identification strip, when in position, willbe yieldably held in place and thoroughly protected. And the invention has as a still further object to provide a holder which may be formed from a single piece of material and which may thus be produced at minimum cost. I I

Other and incidental objects appear as the description proceeds. and in the drawings wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved toothbrush holder, Fig. 2 is a sectional view more particularly showing the mounting of theidentification strip or "cardemployed, Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view more particularly showing the contour of the openings formed in the holder for receiving the tooth brushes, Fig.4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the arrangement of the identification card receiving.

pocket of the holder, as well'as the arrangement of the flange for yieldably holding the card in position.

In the preferred embodiment of the inyention as illustrated in the drawing, I employ a preferably rectangular piece of suitbrushes thereon.

other suitable fastening devices by which the holder may be suspended from a wall or other supporting surface with the body portion 10 extending laterally therefrom. The body portion 10 is also preferably fiat and is provided medially thereof, with a series of longitudinally spaced openings 14 which are, as will be best observed upon reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings, substantially elliptical. Each of the openings 14 is of a size to freely receive the handle of a tooth brush as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. use, the handles of the tooth brushes are inserted through the openings 14 with the bristles of the brushes resting against the body portion 10 to support the In this way, thebrushes carried by the holder may be readily arranged in position thereon or removed for use. At this point, it is desiredto direct attention" to the fact that my improved holder may be made any desired size to consequently accommodate a greater or less number of openings 14 and thus, as will be readily understood, the capacity of the holder mayv be varied. At its free edge, the face plate '12 is bent'upon itself to provide an overlapping yieldable flange 15 arranged to confront the inner face of the face plate and defining in connection therewith, a

pocket adapted to receive an identification -card as shall be presently explained. As more particularly shown in Fig, 4 of the drawings, the flange 15 is, adjacent the inner extremitythereof, bent inwardly to define a shoulder 16 normally abutting the face plate 12, the flange extending from the said shoulder in slightly divergent relation to the face plate.

Removably fitted between the flange 15 and the face plate 12 is an identification a tooth brush, an attaching card 17. The card 17 may be formed of any suitable material and is preferably of a width equal to the width of the flange 15. It will now be noted that when arranging the card in position, one end thereof, may be inserted between the face plate 12 and the upper diverging portion of the flange 15 and the card then moved longitudinally of the face plate. After having been so positioned, the card may then be moved transversely of the flange 15 between the shoulder 16 of the flange and the face plate when the said shoulder will then yieldably bind the card between the face plate and the flange for securely holding it in position in the manner best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The face plate 12 is provided with a series of longitudinally spaced openings 18 which are arranged opposite the series of openings 11. The openings 18, may be of any suitable character and provide sight openings through which indicia upon the card 17 may beobserved. The card 17 is provided at spaced points with the names of the persons using the holder or is provided with other suitable indicia adapted to register with the openings 18, as shown in F ig. 1 of the drawings. Thus, each of the openings 14 may be identified or set apart for the use of a particular person and the tooth brush of such person will, of course, be disposed in such opening. Arranged in front of the card 17 and adapted to seat against the adjacent inner face of the face plate 12, is a transparent protecting strip 19 of celluloid or other suitable material. The strip 19 is removably fitted between the flange 15 and the face plate 12 with the flange yieldably holding the strip in position. It will be noted that the strip is not only adapted to protect the indicia upon the card 17, but is also adapted to prevent water from the tooth brushes from running down the outer face of the holder to find its way to the card.

As will be readily understood, my improved holder may be readily mounted at any convenient location such, for instance, as near a lavatorv. and will provide a very convenient and useful device. F urthermore, it will, in use. be neat and attractive in appearance, and the major portion of the device being formed from a single piece of sheet metal. the commercial article may be produced at reasonable cost.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device of the character described including a body portion formed to receive plate carried by the body portion, aface plate mounted on the body portion and provided with a sight opening. and a flange arranged to coact with the face plate, the said flange defining a pocket adapted to receive a card bearing indicia visible through said sight opening.

2. A device of the character described i11- cluding a body portion formed to removably receive a tooth brush, an attaching plate carried by the body portion, a face plate formed on the body portion and having a sight opening formed therein, and a yieldable flange formed 011 the face plate and adapted to normally engage the face plate to coact therewith, the said flange deing in connection with the face plate a pocket adapted to receive a card bearing in dicia visible through the said opening with the flange yieldably engaging the said card.

3. A device of the character described including a body portion adapted to detachably receive a tooth brush, an attaching plate formed on the body portion, a face plate formed on the body portion and provided with sight openings, the face plate being bent at its free edge to define an overlapping yieldable flange arranged to coact with the face plate and defining in connection therewith, a pocket adapted to receive a card bearing indicia visible through said opening with the flange yieldably engaging the card.

4. A tooth brush holder, including the combination with a body portion formed to receive a tooth brush and provided with an attaching member, a face plate carried by the body portion and provided with an opening, and a flange carried by the face plate and adapted to support a card disposed between the flange and said face plate whereby indiciaupon the card may be observed through said opening.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a tooth brush holder formed from a single piece of material bent intermediate its ends to provide a body portion having an attaching platev extending from one margin there of, and a face plate extending from the opposite margin thereof, the face plate being bent to provide an overlapping flange, there being an opening formed in the body portion adapted to receive a tooth brush and an opening formed in the face plate. the flange being adapted to support a card disposed between the said flange and the face plate 'whereby indicia upon the card may be observed through said opening in the face plate.

6. A device of the character described including abody portion formed to receive a tooth brush and provided with an attaching member, a face plate carried by the body portion and provided with an opening. and a yieldable element overlying said opening in the rear of the plate and adapted to cooperate therewith in supporting a card visible through the opening.

7. A- device of the character described including a body portion formed to receive a tooth brush and provided with an attaching member, a face plate carried by the body portion and provided with an opening, and a member carried by the face plate and provided with a shoulder projecting inwardly between the member and the plate and adapted to cooperate with the plate in engaging a card disposed between the member and the plate with. the card visible through said opening.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. BRADFORD B. FLINT. [1 s.] "Witnesses:

LINA L. MCGINNISS, ADDIS K. BOHFORD. 

